


Reunion

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 20:32:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10473822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: The Foxes alumni come back to cheer on their team mates for the first playoff final ever held on the Foxhole Court. Renee and Allison reconnect.





	

The first thing Renee does when her plane lands is text the team. It’s already 10 pm and she’s been traveling 15 hours, but she’s breathing South Carolina air for the first time in two years and she wants to let them know as soon as she can. It’s two days before the final game of the playoffs and Renee is sure that Coach Wymack is enforcing is early-to-bed rules leading to an important game day. Sure enough she only gets one text in response, but it’s an unexpected one.   
_I got in this afternoon. Want to meet up?_ Allison says. 

_I’ve got to get my bag from baggage claim first, tell me where I’ll meet you._ Renee responds. She’ll be crashing at the Tower. Wymack messaged all his graduated Foxes to invite them to the first playoff final held on the Foxhole Court. The court has seen a full set of renovations since Renee graduated and it now rivals the Edgar Allen stadium for seating size, in anticipation for an event such as this. Her phone buzzes in her pocket, with Allison’s invitation to one of the all night diners in walking distance from campus. Renee remembers going there with Dan and Allison on their occasional roommate-night-outs. It takes her almost an hour between getting her bag and a taxi ride to the diner. Helpfully, it’s close enough she can just plan to drag her bag to campus afterward without worry. Allison’s already staked out the back left corner booth. 

“Hey,” Renee greets her, throwing her bag into the booth ahead of her and sitting down opposite Allison. “You also staying at the tower?”

“Wymack put me in a single across from where Dan & Matt will be, I think you’re next door.” 

“Singles, we must be special.”

“I think Wymack is just happy to show off having enough space.” Allison shrugs, “the Tower’s not all Foxes of course, but he’s up to two floors worth.” She grins. “So, how was your flight?” 

“I’m good at sleeping on planes.” Renee shrugs, “Transpacific and cross continental are definitely enough to make my back sore though.”

“Do you still sleep in weird pretzels?” Allison asks, miming tucking her knees to her chin and craning her head to one side in what Renee assumes must be an impression of Renee’s bus-sleep strategy team road trips.

“It’s one of the perks of being short.” 

The waitress stops by their table and they both order without looking at their menu’s, handing over the slick folded plastic to the waitress.

“Strawberry milkshake, why am I not surprised,” Allison observes. 

“And I’m sure you’re going to dip your sweet potato fries in your chocolate milkshake like a heathen. Clearly not much has changed,” Renee counters.

“Your hair,” Allison points out. Renee’s fingers drift up to tug at it. It’s cut fairly short, above her chin but below her ears, but the most striking thing for Allison is probably the normal color.

“It’s against the dress code of my school to have dyed hair,” Renee explains, “if the kids can’t do it, we can’t do it. No one mistakes me for a local though, I look too Korean I guess.” 

“It doesn’t look bad,” Allison says and Renee smiles. 

“I liked the rainbow better too, maybe again someday.” 

Their milkshakes arrive a few moments later and Renee can distract herself from cataloguing the ways Allison has changed, which don’t appear to be many. 

“So what are you doing?” Renee asks, because while she’s kept up with most of the Foxes, Allison is one of the hardest to keep track of. 

“I’m at Global Health Corps in development, major gifts,” Allison rattles off, “I’m primarily part of the donor cultivation team, some of it is end-of-life charitable planning but also maintaining major donor relationships. I guess I’m used to brushing elbows with money, it’s nice to use that training for good in the world.” She shrugs and dips one of her fries into her milk shake, then pops it in her mouth. “Do you think you want to be a teacher.” 

Renee raises a shoulder, “Maybe, I don’t think I’ll extend my contract again. In seven months I’ll be back in the states, I’m counting on that.” 

“Do you know where you’ll move back to?”

“You and Dan and Matt are all in New York, I was thinking maybe I’d put myself in the neighborhood too. That’s pretty expensive though. I don’t know.” 

“As long as you don’t go to Jersey just because it’s cheaper.” 

They talk over the games they’ve seen, Allison has been better at keeping up with the Foxes games than Renee, and they share anecdotes from the last years. Renee is surprised she’s not falling asleep into her milkshake, but Allison’s bright smile across the table from her keeps her awake. She giggles more than she probably would without the sleep deprivation, and Allison insists on dragging Renee’s suitcase as they leave, saying, “You look asleep on your feet, just concentrate on not tripping.” 

 

The walk back to campus is so familiar it makes Renee’s chest hurt, the illumination of streetlights and the familiar houses and closed stores they pass before the residential houses shift to campus houses with their greek lettering and then to the manicured pathways and campus buildings. The wheels of her suitcase click, click, click against the pavement where one wheel is wearing down, as Allison weaves her way through the cars in the parking lot, crossing to the door of the Tower. Renee closes her eyes as she leans against the wall of the bright elevator. Whatever was keeping her awake enough at the diner has seeped down through her feet with the walk and she has to catch herself when the elevator jolts her out of an almost-doze. Allison steers Renee to her room. The door is unlocked, a key with Wymack’s welcome note on the standard college dresser. Allison wheels Renee’s bag in and gives her a quick one-armed squeeze before heading for the door. Renee follows her back to the bright hallway light. Allison pauses between their rooms, looking back to Renee with a smile.

“It’s good to see you again,” she says. Instead of a verbal reply, Renee takes a step forward, leaning up slightly to press a dry kiss to Allison’s cheek. She hurries back into her own room and the door clicks shut behind her before she can watch Allison’s face for a reaction. Renee decides not to turn on the lights and instead shuffles to the bed, kicking her bag aside and falling face first into the thin college issue sheets and fleece blanket. She rolls them around herself, drags the pillow into a more comfortable position, and falls asleep. 

After staying up late enough she wakes at a somewhat late, but normal-for-vacation hour. Unless very much has changed, Renee still has forty minutes before the dining hall pulls all the hot food from breakfast. Renee changes out of her going on 28 hrs clothes and into something clean and new. She doesn’t see anyone in the dorm hallway and there’s no one in the bathroom where she washes her face and brushes her teeth. There’s no one she knows in the dining hall either, but her phone vibrates as she’s dropping off her tray on the conveyer belt. 

_Group pre-game planning meeting, Fox Den, today at 2 pm._ says Danielle’s text. It’s quickly followed by, I’ve got the glitter and craft projects, Renee do you still have secret sources for body paint in this town?

 _I’ll see what I can do._ Renee texts back. She knows what she’ll be up to before the afternoon.

The amount of delighted squealing and hugs Rene finds in the Fox Den is magical. Once Dan, Matt, and Allison are through, Nicky jumps off of the couch, and Erik’s lap, where he’d been sprawled and swings Renee around in a circle large enough that Allison has to jump out of the way. 

“The monsters are tied up with team stuff today, so it’s just us graduates.” Allison explains, when Renee looks around, counting the missing spaces on her team. 

“Besides, you know Aaron would put his foot down as soon as he saw the glitter,” Nicky says, waving at where Dan is expertly waging glittery war on the banner Renee assumes will eventually read ‘Go Foxes!’ 

“That’s my contribution,” Nicky continues, pointing to a smaller sign that reads “Neil Josten #10” and is surrounded in glittery purple and silver hearts. “You should make one for Andrew, he probably wont stab you for it.” Renee folds herself down on the floor to peruse Dan’s craft supplies.

“Did you get the body paint?”

“Black and orange,” Renee agrees. It’s not for a halloween costume this time, but she knows it will work. 

“If we ignore spelling convention we have enough for go foxes, but without the ‘e’.” Dan accepts the cans of red and black paint from Renee’s bag. 

“Or we could stick with e and just have Foxes, exclamation point.” Allison suggests. 

“That might be better,” Renee agrees. 

“We can make Erik the exclamation point.” Nicky grins at them, “since he’s the only one who’s not a Fox.”

“That could work,” Dan nods. “Do you think teal or blue for the extra exclamation point on the sign.”

“Teal definitely.” Renee hands over the glitter pen she’s just finished using to carefully letter Andrew’s name.

By the time Allison and Renee are sitting in the back of Matt and Dan’s car, following Nicky to one of the nicer local restaurants none of them had bothered to spend the money to visit during college, they have three small signs, the large banner, and a coordinated stomach painting plan. Renee toys with her cross, not bothering to chase away the smile that’s broadened so much over the course of the afternoon that her cheeks are hurting. Maybe not smiling would be a relief, but as Dan laughs from the front seat, and pushes the mass of her dark curls out of the way as she twists back to ask Allison a question, Renee doesn’t want to stop smiling with all of them. 

Their reservation is only for the six of them. They wont see the rest of their team until the game and presumed after party tomorrow. Even if they loose, with all of the graduates there, the Foxes reunited, it’s going to be a party either way. Dan and Matt take one side of the table and Erik and Nicky the other, leaving Allison and Renee to sit across from one another. Renee can feel when Allison kicks her heels off under the table. Renee raises an eyebrow and Allison winks, stretching in her seat.

“So, Dan, how's coaching? You got any rejects to send to the Foxhole Court yet?” 

“Even with Wymack being less picky about his player’s history, I haven’t had a good fit yet. I sent two kids to Edgar Allen this year, which I never thought I’d say.”

“Really?” Nicky blurts. 

“Since the inquest and the change in management, coaching, and the restructure of the athlete dorms, Edgar Allen is a really different team.” 

“Their seniors still remember.” Allison frowns.

“Their seniors were terrified of Riko and none of them wants to become that. They had a really good model of what not to do. I visited actually. If any of my kids get scouted I like to know where they’re going. In a few years I’ll probably know all the schools, but right now I’m still learning too.” 

Renee suppresses a shiver. Even now she can’t imagine voluntarily returning to the Edgar Allen stadium and there wasn’t anything particularly terrible that happened to her there. 

“Well,” Allison offers, “That does say great things about you as a coach. Edgar Allen, even with a regime change that’s still the equivalent of getting into Harvard Law.” 

“They’re good kids and a work them hard. Not all of them are going to go pro, but I’ve got some good bets.” 

Dinner conversation turns to Erik’s job in Germany and Nicky’s website development and consulting work which he’s able to do from the couch of their shared apartment. 

“We’re thinking about getting a registered partnership,” Nicky says, almost cautiously during a lull in the conversation. Dan jumps up in her chair, clapping.

“Really?”

“Well, we can’t get legally married there. And we want Erik’s family to be at the ceremony, so it makes more sense to have it in Germany. We haven’t set a date yet, but you’ll all bee invited.” Dan runs around the table and Nicky stands to receive her hug. 

There are a few moments of musical chairs as the rest of them hug Nicky. Erik watches with a pleased smile that Renee returns. Even if Nicky’s parents won’t be there, hopefully he’ll see how excited this family is for him. When they settle back around the table Erik asks Matt about how he’s enjoying actually practicing immigration law now that he’s graduated and Matt shares about the small law office where he’s now a junior partner. The conversation doesn’t come back around to Renee’s life until after Allison has shared some donor wooing anecdotes and Nicky has contributed a few IT horror stories. Renee’s kids provide more than enough adorable story fodder but she also shares some of the things she’s missed from the states, and some of the things she’s come to appreciate living in Japan. 

“Imagine if we had karaoke boxes in college,” Allison muses, “Do you think Neil could have convinced Andrew to sing. I’d pay to see that.” 

“They might visit after graduation, before Court,” Renee says, “It’s close enough to Moriyama territory that if done properly it would be clear Neil isn’t running. Andrew and I have talked about it actually, them visiting while I’m still there. My place is a postage stamp, but it’s not like either of them take up much space.” 

“You would let the monsters kick you out of your own bed.” Allison frowns, correctly assuming that Renee would take the couch in such a situation. 

“That would be so much fun!” Nicky crows, “imagine a Foxes vacation,” he turns with a hopeful expression to Eric. Eric clearly knows Nicky well enough to be unswayed by the puppy eyes but he does nod thoughtfully. 

“We have been meaning to take a trip this summer, I haven’t used most of my vacation, and Nicky can work from just about anywhere.” 

“I definitely don’t have room for all of you,” Renee hastens to clarify.

“Does Japan do Air BnB? We could try and get a house all together somewhere near you.” Dan smiles at the idea. “That might be pretty inexpensive, it’s definitely a better way to see New York.” 

“My mom came to visit and there isn’t enough room at our place,” Matt explained.

“There’s enough room,” Dan counters, “but our walls are really thin and no one wants their mother-in-law around for a full week in that sort of situation, even if she is amazing. Allison laughs. 

They linger over deserts until Dan is yawning more often than she’s contributing to the conversation. Renee is still feeling surprisingly awake, either from jet lag, the company, or the excitement of the game tomorrow. Even though she isn’t playing the familiar feel of giddy anxiety is building in her gut. They pile out of Matt’s car at the Tower and Renee hugs Dan, Matt, and Allison goodnight.

“I think I’m going to walk around campus a bit, until I’m more tired.” 

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Dan promises. 

“I’ll come with you,” Allison says. Renee nods and they fall into the familiar path of the physics class Allison and Renee had shared their fifth year when they’d both been missing one science credit. It’s five minutes of silence to the building. Allison pauses to look up at the darkened building. 

“Do you miss it?” Allison asks.

“College? I don’t miss studying but I miss us, the Foxes.” 

“I didn’t think I would,” Allison admits.

“But you do?”

“Yeah.” Allison turns out toward the soccer fields and Renee follows her. “I used to come out here with Seth sometimes,” she says when they’re halfway across the field, Renee’s toes wet in her sandals. “Ostensibly it was to star watch, but really we just made out.” Renee swings her arms a little, brushing at them to ward off mosquitoes. 

“Do you still think about him a lot?” 

“Not as much as I used to, but sometimes. He’ll always be important to me.” Renee stops when Allison halts to crane her neck back at the sky. “There’s the big dipper.” She looks back to Renee. “Are you dating anyone?” 

“No, not with the language barrier. There are too many things that would be too complicated to explain.” Renee shrugs, “At the beginning I was adjusting, focusing on work, learning a new culture, improving my language skill. I have made some friends, but it takes me a while to like someone you know. I don’t know when I’ve just met them. And now, well seven months is a long time but it’s also very short? I’m not going to stay so I don’t think it makes sense to try.” Renee sighs and shakes her foot where grass clippings cling. 

“What about Jean?” Allison asks.

“Jean? Oh, we never. I still talk with him and we’re friends but nothing ever developed on my side. Or on his I think? If he did he was respectful about it.” 

“I thought for sure, when you were Skyping each other once a week our fifth year.” Allison teases. 

“No,” Renee ducks her head. “I think that’s the same as everyone betting on me and Andrew. Sometimes you click with someone but it’s not about romance, some kind of same place, same mind? I’ve been lucky to find people who need me, who I need but it’s not that kind of emotional and that’s not even.” Renee reaches a hand forward, grasping for a word and settles on tapping over her heart instead. “He’s my best friend. We still talk almost every week. He’s dating, well he’s dating the guy who was the Trojan’s captain…Jeremy?” Allison nods that it’s the correct name, “Right, and he’s dating a girl he met in his poli-sci class. They all live in San Diego now. He and Jeremy share an apartment and she’s somewhere nearby, I guess.” Renee shakes her head with a smile. “I can’t imagine having that much energy.”

“So there isn’t anyone for you?” Allison presses. 

Renee laces her fingers together. “There is a woman I met through one of the college courses I’m taking, but she has a boyfriend, so.”

“You’re going to college there?” 

“No, just the occasional course. Maybe that’s why I don’t miss studying.” Renee laughs. “It’s different though, and I’m only taking the one.” Allison hums and looks back up at the sky. 

“Look!” She grabs Renee’s wrist pulling her closer, and pointing along a sight line, “A shooting star. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is tonight and tomorrow. Keep watching, there might be another.” The watch together, Allison’s fingers warm around Renee’s wrist, their shoulders brushing. Renee’s other arm feel suddenly very cold in the night air. She stifles a shiver. Two more shooting stars streak overhead. 

“You’re shivering,” Allison says, turning to her. The space between them is warm. 

“It’s late,” Renee says, “I should probably go to sleep so I wake up at a reasonable hour.” 

“The time difference,” Allison nods, “right.” She doesn’t let Renee go and she doesn’t step back. Now neither of them are looking at the stars. Suddenly, Renee wonders, she’d thought Allison was the first straight girl she’d really fallen for, but Renee recognizes the charge in the air as the moment before a kiss. She remembers the softness of Allison’s cheek under her lips the night before. Allison’s lips part, Renee is staring at her mouth. 

“Ney.” Allison breathes, a nickname Renee hasn’t heard in two years. Renee opens her mouth, but sound booms around them, drowning any words she might have said. They both startle. The flares bright and the sound roars again. This time Renee turns in time to see the last fizzling sparks of firework over the trees to her left. They are, of course, orange. 

“Someone’s pregaming.” Allison laughs.

“What time is it?” Renee demands. 

“Probably midnight.” 

Turned toward the line of trees on the far side of the soccer fields, they’re ready for the next pop of fireworks spewing color and noise just over the trees. 

“I’m betting on sirens in three, two, one…” Allison is off by another few moments but this is the drawback of having a police station near campus. With the distraction, the space between them is almost normal. Renee sways a bit, towards Allison and then away, as if testing for magnetic pull.

“I should go to bed,” Renee says. 

“Yeah, before the police think we’re the hooligans.” Allison turns towards the Tower. The rest of the walk is quiet, but it isn’t awkward. Allison holds the door to the building and Renee fumbles with the key to her door. Allison doesn’t give her a hug goodnight and Renee doesn’t follow her to her door to press a kiss to Allison’s cheek or her lips.

“Goodnight,” Renee says, shoving her door open with her hip now that the key has properly turned.

“Sleep well,” Allison replies. Renee closes her door. She takes the time to change into pajamas and goes back into the hall to brush her teeth. The bathroom is once again empty, but she recognizes Dan’s shower kit, sitting in one of the empty cubbies. It’s so familiar that Renee almost laughs. It’s a brown plastic basket with a cartoon fox on the side, a Christmas present from Allison that Dan is apparently still using. 

 

Renee wakes on game day full of nerves. She already has a text from Dan and is glad her phone has is set to do not disturb before 8am because Dan’s message came in at 5:30 am asking if Renee wanted to go on a run with her. Renee stretches and flips to her Facebook. Nicky has posted photos from the night before, Neil has apparently liked all of them already. Renee smiles.   
_Going to brunch, if any of you are headed that way._ Rene texts the group. Saturday hot food dining starts at 9am and goes until 1pm but as Renee suspected, Dan texts back, _Already ate. I’ll see you at the game! We’re meeting an hour ahead right, to make sure we’re prepared. You have to show me how to seal this paint._ Before Renee has a chance to respond another text pings in, _Make that two hours, lines to get into the stadium are going to be ridiculous even with our good seats._

_I’ll be in the Den at 1pm. That is our staging ground?_ Renee sends back.

 _See you then._ Dan responds. 

_Erik and I just finished breakfast at the diner, sorry._ Nicky’s text arrives a moment later. Renee takes her time getting dressed and putting on her make up, but even by the time she’s ready, Allison still hasn’t texted back. Renee thinks about knocking on her door but they were up pretty late and Allison has always been able to sleep until past noon on weekends. She’ll be up in time for the game. 

They all wear their jerseys. It makes Renee tear up a little, unexpectedly. Of course Allison would never have had that ridiculous fuzzy orange pompom hair tie holding up her ponytail for an actual game, and without the padding wearing a jersey is like wearing a mini dress on all of them. Dan has twist ties so they can tighten the shirts to the midriff and show off their F O X E S ! letters. Painted, primped, and posters collected they embark together for the stadium. Even with an hour and spare to go the line is long. Wearing their jerseys (not tied up yet) turns out to have been a great plan, because one of the security people recognizes them and ushers them through to one of the employees and staff entrances. 

“Wymack said you’d be here.” She grins. “Lets hope we’ll have another game like your year!” Dan offers her a fist bump. They can’t get back into the locker rooms, even if security does know them, but Renee is almost glad they can’t see the team before the game, no distractions. They all know the Foxhole like any other well loved place they’ve lived. Walking to the stands is a little different, but with her team at her side, Renee almost feels like she’s about to take the court, high on excitement and skill. Dan bumps shoulders with her playfully and they increase their pace, speed walking to light jogging to outright racing towards the entry. Of course they round a corner and there’s another wall of people ahead of them. Dan’s laughing as they slow and squirm their way into the crowd, apologizing as they go. The six of them have seats near the glass, near the Foxes’ enclosure. Renee sits down, Dan to one side, Allison to the other. 

“Forty five minutes to the ball toss,” Dan says. It’s not the longest forty five minutes of Renee’s life because those are obviously somewhere in the hours of waiting in a hotel room with the other Foxes to hear if Neil was alright, and also because only fifteen minutes later, the Foxes run out onto the court for warm ups. Dan whoops at the top of her lungs and Renee can see Neil’s head turn towards them. Renee waves and he nods back. Andrew doesn’t acknowledge them at all, but Renee is sure he’s seen them. 

The game is brutal and sportsmanly. It says a lot about the changes in the state of Exy that the gloves only come off once. Now that Edgar Allen has been chastised for their violence and re-invisioned, the rest of the league has followed the trend. Exy has always been a skill game, and the crowd still hollers whenever someone is slammed up against the plexy glass of the box, but the violence Renee remembers from her own games is mostly missing. That’s probably a good thing. 

The first half ends with the Foxes down by one, with Kevin, Neil, and a striker Renee doesn’t know with a goal each. Renee shakes her hand back and forth on the banner, rippling it crazily with Dan, Allison, and Nicky at each goal. When the buzzer sounds, Renee doesn’t leave the stands, but she does get up to stand and stretch. Neil throws her another nod as he jogs off the court. Dan braves the line for the women’s restroom and Nicky buys three boxes of sour patch kids that he claims are for sharing. Five minutes before the end of the break they start tying up each other’s jerseys. 

When the Foxes run back on the court they’re seated again. Renee isn’t surprised when the jumbotron cuts from the players arranging themselves for the ball toss to the Fox graduates and their painted stomachs. Renee can feel Andrew’s glare all the way from the goal. 

Andrew shuts out the second half. Whether to spite Renee’s glittering poster or irregardless of it. Renee yells herself hoarse with the rest of the crowd. 20 shots on goal and Andrew doesn’t let one of them in. Neil on the other hand earns himself a hat trick. Kevin can’t seem to score but he’s the assist on two of Neil’s shots. When the horn ends the game the Foxes have won. Renee jumps and her hoarse voice cracks and disappears for a bit. Dan hugs her, their jumping out of sync, bashing Renee’s chin against her shoulder. 

Dan releases Renee so she can turn to plunge her tongue into Matt’s mouth. He tips her over backwards enough that Renee has to doge. She steps forward to pound against the glass as the Foxes jog towards her, away from the handshake line. Kevin is holding the bronze trophy high above his head. Neil grins at Renee, teeth clamping one end of his mouthguard. Andrew has ditched his gloves somewhere and gives Renee a half salute with the hand carrying his racquet as he jogs by. Renee slams her self against the plexiglass in a body check and Andrew picks up speed. Aaron jerks his chin up at all of them in something that isn’t a nod, but even he can’t contain his smile. There’s a crowd of Vixen’s at the entrance to the Foxes’ locker rooms and Renee spots Katelyn in the crowd when Aaron veers for her. On her other side, beyond Allison, Eric and Nicky are also kissing. Allison is looking at her. Renee opens her arms and Allison tugs her close. She hugs Renee hard, her laughter in Renee’s ears as she arches back so that Renee’s feet pop off the ground. Renee tightens her arms around Allison’s neck and kicks her feet. 

The orange-wearing crowd leaving the stadium is in a state of constant jubilation. The fireworks are back even though it’s only six pm and full sun outside. There’s a celebratory team dinner in the Tower basement, it’s pizza and liter bottles of soda, and a massive bowl of skittles. Nothing fancy but Renee is sure half the people in the room couldn’t care. There’s also a lot of poorly concealed alcohol. Wymack is standing in the middle of all of it and ignoring the bottles. When most of the room has either empty greasy plates, or half eaten slices of pizza Wymack stands on a chair to get everyone’s attention. 

Renee is glad she’s not the only one a little teary by the end of his speech. One of the sophomore strikers, the girl who got the other goal, is a gushing, sobbing water works. Her teammates hug her. Someone starts singing. Renee doesn’t know the song well, the radio top forty she’s been exposed to is pretty different, but it’s clearly familiar enough that most of the players, and Nicky, know it and soon there’s a giant warbling, laughing, shouting and crying crowd swaying together, arms linked over shoulders. Nicky kisses Aaron’s temple and gets shoved for it. He also picks Katelyn up and swings her around. Renee is close enough to hear Nicky’s, apparently already drunk, instructions on the best way for Katelyn to propose to Aaron. 

“We have to keep you in the family.” Nicky is saying earnestly. 

Renee makes here way to where Andrew is, unsurprisingly, holding up a corner of the wall. She slides next to him, shoulders resting back against the cool cinderblock. Renee only has to follow Andrew’s gaze to find Neil. The now ex-team-captain is talking seriously with the new captain and a cluster of his players. It’s amazing to realize how big the Foxes have gotten in number. If they make it to the championship in another two years, they won’t be able to all fit in a room together.

“Good game,” Renee says.

“Thanks.” Andrew nods. 

“You ready for Court?” Andrew raises a shoulder in response. “You go where he goes?” Renee surmises. Andrew shoots her a sideways glance but doesn’t say anything. “You do love the game though,” Renee murmurs, “the way you play has changed.”

“Thanks Bee.” Andrew mutters back to her. Renee smiles. “We going to spar when I come visit.” 

Renee grins, “I have a dojo and everything. I could probably teach you a few new moves.” Andrew turns to look at her appraisingly. He’s always appreciated someone who could defend themselves. Renee stays loose and unthreatening, but she shifts her feet slightly, settling into a solid stance hands spread just enough to be an invitation. Andrew’s lips curl.

“We’ll see,” He says and Renee smiles wider. Neil makes his way over and gives Renee a warm hug once he’s in arms reach. 

She murmurs her “Nice hat trick” into his hair and he squeezes her tighter before letting go.

“You look different.” He pats at his own head. 

“I’m a high school teacher, can’t encourage rebellion in my kids.” 

Andrew scoffs. Neil leans against the wall between them, his side brushing against Andrew’s. With a comfort Renee hasn’t seen before, Andrew turns into him, his arm snagging at Neil’s waist and drawing him more comfortably and snugly in. They hadn’t been at this place together when Renee had last seen them, and it’s not exactly the sort of thing that comes across very well through a Skype call. Renee feels the rush of warm happiness at seeing something good happen to the people she deeply cares for. With Neil nestled against Andrew, the kiss Andrew places on Neil’s scarred cheek isn’t even a surprise. Neil doesn’t flinch and Andrew gives no outward sign that he realizes this is something unusual to Renee’s experience of the two of them. Neil starts asking about their trip, further planned with places he wants to visit and food he wants to try than Andrew ever is. This is Neil exited to travel, to try new things, to live. It makes Renee impulsively step forward and throw her arms around both of them. She braces to regret it the moment she’s done it but Andrew doesn’t jab her in the guts and Neil’s free hand wraps around her shoulder in a brief squeeze. 

“I love you guys,” Renee says when she steps back. “Neil, send me your list, I’ll start looking into it on my end.” 

Renee takes a break from the party sometime around sundown. She sits on the steps of the Tower and watches the quiet parking lot. She feels strangely homesick, being in the midst of it all. This isn’t a place she can come back to. In less than twenty four hours she’s getting on a plane and flying back to a foreign country. A place she has an apartment and coworkers and friends and some kids she’s come to really care about. And at the end of it she’s leaving and she’ll once again be anchorless. 

If she moves to New York she’ll have Dan and Matt a phone call away, she’ll be able to meet up for coffee with Allison on the weekend and go shopping like they did in college. Andrew and Neil will be in the city a couple of times a year for games, and they’ll be able to meet up then, maybe. Renee’s mother will always welcome her home. Renee still feels a little bad that she’s flown to the states and she isn’t going to get to see her mom, but she only has so much vacation time, and her mother did fly out to Japan for Christmas. Renee is endlessly lucky. She has a family that loves her and supports her, and even when she feels like she’s always alone, that’s just because she hasn’t taken the time to remember and to pick up her phone.

 

The door to the Tower opens and a wave of pop music follows Allison out.

“Hey,” Allison says, sitting down beside Renee. Renee nods back. “Andrew and Neil were making out in the hall. I didn’t know he had that in him.”

“I can’t tell if that’s bad joke or a true statement.”

“Probably both.” Allison leans back on her hands. “When does your flight leave?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Is that why you aren’t drinking at all?”

“Not really.” 

Allison nods, “Cool.” The silence that stretches between them is awkwardly laden with unasked questions. Renee closes her eyes so she’s not staring at Allison. 

“I think I was in love with you,” Renee says, which seems idiotic to admit but she can’t think of anything else to say. Her throat hurts. She’s still hoarse from yelling and she wonders if the admission was even loud enough for Allison to hear. There’s a rasp of fabric as Allison brushes grit off her hands. 

“When?” 

Renee swallows, “Fifth year, I think I started to really know before Christmas.”

“You never said anything, I was single.”

“You’d dated Seth and at least three guys I know of in one of your off-again periods. And then you weren’t dating anyone. Despite,” Renee circles her fingers with a little jerk, “I’m not convinced you’re not actually straight.”

“I’m not straight.” Allison says. Renee opens her eyes.

“Then why?” 

“I’m really bad at taking things slow.” Allison says. 

“Three years is not slow, Allison. You can kiss me.” Allison does. Renee is practically in Allison’s lap, her hands twined up into Allison’s hair and Allison’s teeth tugging against her lower lip when the door to the Tower bangs open behind them and Nicky’s voice says, “Oh, wow.” 

“We’re going to get more ice.” Eric says, stepping around them and down the remaining steps. 

“Do bets get interest? Because Aaron is going to owe me so much money,” Nicky crows. He throws them a playful leer before jogging after his fiancé. Renee buries her face against Allison’s neck. Allison has a really nice neck so she starts kissing it. She might as well if she’s already there. Allison’s breath hitches and her hips shift. 

“Renee my but is falling asleep. If we’re going to do this can we at least be somewhere more comfortable.” 

Renee tightens her lips, drawing a bright hickey against Allison’s skin and appreciating Allison’s shudder. 

“We both have singles, whose room is nicer?”

“I’ve actually got two beds, though pushing dorm beds together isn’t actually the most comfortable. Wanna be my roommate?” Allison’s hands squeeze against Renee’s ass. Renee breaks out into a giggle. 

“Sorry, ticklish.” 

“Your butt is ticklish?” Allison squeezes again and Renee swats at her. “My place in NYC is pretty spacious.” Allison says when her hands have moved back to Renee’s shoulders and Renee has stopped laughing. “If you don’t have a place to land when you move. I mean, whether or not we do this, it’s an offer.” Renee stands.

“Thanks.” 

“Renee?” Allison asks, still sitting, looking up at her. 

“Yes?”

Allison sits up straighter, “Two things. When you move to NYC, would you be my girlfriends, and how do you feel about sex?”

“Yes, and very positive.”

“Right now?”

Renee offers her hand to Allison, “I’ve been dreaming about it for the last two years. That’s a yes, right now, if you want.” Allison springs to her feet. She grabs Renee’s offered hand and starts tugging her towards the building.

“Fuck yes.” 

The base beat of the party below vibrates in the floor but they don’t meet anyone, making out or otherwise, in the hall. Allison slams open the door to her room and kicks it closed before spinning to plaster Renee back against it. 

“The bed is right there,” Renee mumbles against Allison’s lips. Allison is an ass so she picks Renee up and carries her to the bed. It’s also kind of hot because clearly Allison has kept in shape since college. Renee hits the bed and pulls Allison down on top of her. Kissing, fully clothed and horizontal is great. Renee winds her fingers through Allison’s hair and tugs hard, relishing the gasp and moan that gets her. Perks of girls’ night, and listening to Allison and Dan complain to each other about their respective boyfriends, Renee has thought a lot about the things she knows Allison likes. 

Even so prepared, most of it is totally forgotten by the time Renee is fumbling her own bra off. Her nipples aren’t particularly sensitive but Allison starts sucking hard enough that she can really feel it and that’s surprisingly nice. Renee twists her fingers through Allison’s hair again, closing her hand even harder and Allison’s breath gasps hot over Renee’s breast, raising goosebumps. Allison pops the button on her own pants and shoves them down. She wriggles against Renee as she works them down her legs. Allison flings them in the direction of her bra and jersey. Renee lifts her hips to help get her skirt off. It would have been much easier if they did this before getting on the bed. 

“Someday,” Allison says, “I want to eat you out while you wear my jersey.”

“Yes.” Renee nods effusively.

“Good, but right now I’m enjoying looking at your breasts too much.” Allison palms over Renee’s nipple which isn’t enough to illicit a reaction from Renee, but the skin brushing against skin all over the rest of her body is quite the distraction. Allison hums low in her throat and flips them. 

“I don’t have the paperwork with me, but I’m STD free,” Allison says. 

“The last time I was tested was a year ago, but I haven’t, with anyone since then.” 

Allison kisses her. “I really want to go down on you,” Allison grinds her hips up against Renee, her hands grip Renee’s ass, hauling them against one another. The sensation has moved from ticklish to searing, with the arousal pooling between Renee’s hips and she whines at the contact, pleasure lancing up and down her spine in a shudder. 

“Oh you’re ticklish!” Allison starts to pull back her hands “sorry I forgo-“

Renee grabs Allison’s hands and keeps them right where where they are. She bears down against Allison’s wider hips, sliding her leg more firmly between Allison’s. “No, that’s actually-" Allison takes the hint when Renee squeezes her own fingers over Allison’s. Renee follows the sweet spark of sensation with her hips, rocking back into Allison’s rough hand and forward against her leg until Allison’s gripping with both hands and shoving Renee’s hips down against her own. 

Sweat springs up over Renee’s breasts and down her spine. Her whole body is shuddering and hitching with impending climax. Allison jerks her a little sideways, fingers bruising as she aligns Renee’s sharp hip where she wants it. A few minutes later Renee is breathing too hard to speak, arms aching from holding her torso up enough to see Allison’s face. She almost collapses when the wave of pleasure spills over, hot and aching, tightening the muscles across her pelvis almost to a point of pain. The fire in her arms is worth it a moment later when Allison grinds herself to orgasm against Renee’s hip. Renee allows herself to collapse. Her arms useless, though not quite as awful as a full hour of shots-on-goal drills. 

“I still want to eat you out,” Allison says. 

Renee nods against Allison’s shoulder. “If it doesn’t involve my arms, but give me a few minutes.”

“Mmm, cuddling first. That’s good.” Allison shifts them to a slightly more comfortable position and tugs the blanket back up the bed. Renee’s starting to drift when Allison’s kisses working across her jaw to her mouth wake her back up. 

“I thought you were supposed to be the one awake at the wrong times.” Allison says. 

“I didn’t actually fall asleep.”

“Do you want to sleep?”

“Not yet, but probably soon.”

“If you’re sitting up you’ll stay awake.” Allison grins, “come here.” 

Renee catches on to Allison’s plan when Allison has rolled her upright, and the wriggled underneath her. 

“You don’t have to use your arms and you’re upright so no falling asleep,” Allison says up to her. “Also, you’re gorgeous.” 

It’s probably silly for Renee to be blushing, but her cheeks are hot, looking down her body at Allison. 

“Come here,” Allison says again, tugging Renee down by the hips in a way that’s totally cheating. “I’ll tap if I want you off.” Allison demonstrates against Renee’s thigh. Renee nods, letting her hips rest down against Allison’s chin and her smart, startling tongue. Already Renee’s thighs are starting to tremble, she isn’t going to last long and all of her limbs are going to be sore tomorrow. Renee finds she completely does not care. Allison’s hands squeeze against her butt and hips, keeping her in place and holding her up, the sensation is still delicious and combined with smart quick flicks of Allison’s tongue, Renee’s thighs are soon jumping. Renee’s core tightens and she lets out a whimper. Allison hums approval beneath her tongue flicking steadily, shifting back and forth until she finds the angle that makes Rene pant and shake, doubling forward so that her head thunks against the wall. Renee leaves it there, stomach muscles jumping and thighs squeezing as Allison draws the a slow seep of orgasm out of her, a bright spark with each flick of her tongue until the sensation is continuous and gorgeous. Renee isn’t sure her exhalation is a word or just a sound. ‘Oh fu-‘ is probably the closest she’s come to cursing in years and she’s a bit glad she didn’t have the breath for the hard consonant. Allison has to help her lay back to the bed though, because now Renee’s thighs are wobbly and her knees sore and hard to move. 

“I’m pretty sure I have no movable limbs to reciprocate with,” Renee admits. “You have killed me.”

“But its as such a nice death.” Allison kisses her. “I’ll happily take a rain check on that reciprocation.”

“Seven months,” Renee sighs.

“Seven moths, but there’s Skype, that’s way better than phone sex, right. You can at least see the other person.”

“Hm.” Renee nods. “I see your point.” 

“Seven months,” Allison says again her fingers carding through Renee’s hair. “We’ve already waited three years.”

“You waited three years?” 

Allison is silent for a moment, her fingers repetitive and comforting over Renee’s hair. “At first I didn’t know I was waiting for you. I’d figured it out before we graduated but then there was so little time left, I’d never seen you date anyone but you were calling Jean almost every other day. I figured that’s what Renee dating looked like, and I didn’t have a chance.” 

Renee smiles at her. “Well, I’m glad foxes believe in second chances. Can you get the light, there is no way I’m standing right now.” Allison makes a put-upon face but extricates herself from the blanket and Renee’s noodle arms. She comes back to Renee in the dark. 

“Are you a sleep cuddler? We still have the extra bed if you aren’t.”

“I remember your college twin horror stories,” Renee says, “but I’m comfortable and there’s no way I’m not sleeping, if you’re comfortable here, I’m up for trying.”

“No place I’d rather be.” 

“Both of us in New York will be nice,” Renee says, thinking again of her thought earlier in the evening, the fleeting fantasy of Palmetto State University, unchanged but a place she can never truly return to.

“I didn’t mean the Tower, I meant you.” Allison says, and kisses Renee’s shoulder.

“Oh, good,” Renee says. It’s the last thing she manages before she falls asleep.


End file.
